Founder of Moroccan development project to speak at Paul Smith's

PAUL SMITHS, NY (09/16/2011)(readMedia)-- Cloe Medina Erickson will discuss her work building community resources in the mountains of Morocco - and how the Adirondack experience can play a role in those projects - at a lecture at Paul Smith's College on Tuesday, Sept. 27.

Erickson, the president and founder of the Atlas Cultural Foundation, will speak at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Freer Hall.

Since 2006, Erickson's group has helped underserved Moroccans, especially women and children, by focusing on community health, cultural preservation and education and literacy. Atlas is affiliated with Adirondack Sustainable Communities, a non-profit group that promotes healthy development in this region while encouraging economic growth, quality of life and the preservation of the area's surroundings.

Atlas works in the Zawiya Ahansal region of the remote Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The isolated community of 15,000 is among the poorest in North Africa. Erickson's group matches experienced partners-local, national and international-with community needs in order to complete projects. Since launching, the foundation's projects have included restoring a village school, rebuilding local trails, and providing potable water to residents.

Erickson is being hosted by the college's Conservation Design: Green Construction course, which is taught by Todd Smith.

"It's a rare opportunity to help a community as underserved as the Berbers of the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco," Smith said. "In the Adirondacks, we have equally rare knowledge to share: How to live sustainably within nature and organized communities, and between preservation and government. This model can help nations and communities across the globe."

Before founding Atlas, Erickson was co-chair of the Livingston (Mont.) Historic Preservation Commission. Erickson, who has a master of architecture degree from Montana State University, is committed to the notion of incorporating historic preservation into international aid and development efforts.

For more information on Atlas: www.atlasculturalfoundation.org

For more information on Adirondack Sustainable Communities: www.adksc.org

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Posted Friday September 16, 2011 at 03:17 pm by Paul Smith's College
Last Updated Tuesday September 20, 2011 at 03:31 pm